BUSINESSES in York and North Yorkshire are being offered the chance to sponsor City's women's football team both on and off the pitch.
York City Ladies Football Club MinsterBelles rocketed into the FA Women’s National League two years ago following promotion, and now compete against well-established clubs like Leeds United, Middlesbrough, Durham and Chorley.
Bespoke packages for businesses wanting to support the team start at £300 for player or matchday sponsorship. They can also sponsor bench jackets, digital media packages or playing kits.
Paula Stainton, foundation manager and chair of York City Ladies, said: “We’re about way more than just running a football club. Because the Ladies are operated as part of the foundation, the club adopts the same ethos to working with our community whether that be through engaging with fans, developing young potential footballers or cultivating corporate relationships.
“The foundation’s work with the local community is growing and is very important to us – it really has changed lives. We take our representation of York City Ladies in the community equally seriously in terms of the responsibility we feel in representing females in both sport and business.
“We also recognise the role we play in inspiring young girls and showing them that football is a potential career. Our vision is to be your personal best, and that relates to our players, our organisation and how we represent ourselves.
“We’re entirely self-funded - the support of amazing local businesses allows us to do the best for our players and give back to our community.
“We’re hugely passionate about working with sponsors, especially businesses which are female led or who want to invest to help grow and promote the female team.”
Part of York City FC Foundation, the team sits proudly at the top of the Female Player Pathway, which offers incredible opportunities to grassroots women’s football.
Paula said: “The club is seeing a huge surge of interest in female football. Around 400 women and girls showed up for our recent trials – more than double that of nine years ago.
“Women’s football is most definitely on the rise. We’ve got the Lionesses qualifying for the Euros plus the legacy of their previous victorious summers and their ongoing run of wins. There’s never been a better time to get involved and support the growth of the game.”
The foundation’s pathway starts with recreational activity for girls from as young as five before moving to the Emerging Talent programme from the age of eight, part of the official FA England Talent Pathway for creating future Lionesses. It then advances to a Talent Academy for ages 10 to 16.
Paula said the club prides itself on fostering a quality, nurturing environment for players, offering a high standard of management, a technical team and a wide range of support alongside opportunities for community appearances.
There’s also a huge emphasis on making a difference to the wider York community, and the Foundation runs many programmes to support local initiatives.
For more options, take a look at the partnerships opportunities brochure: York City Ladies Partnership Opportunities 24/25 by YorkCityLFC - Issuu
To find out more about sponsorship, and arrange a call or meeting to discuss opportunities for your business, email yorkcitylfc@gmail.com
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